U.S. Constitution: Article 1

List the steps essential to remove a President from office.

1. House Judiciary Committee chooses whether to pursue impeachment. 2. Judiciary Committee initiates a formal inquest into the subject of impeachment. 3. Depending on the outcome of the inquiry, the Judiciary Committee sends a resolution to the House either indicating that impeachment is warranted and supports the conclusion with the Articles of Impeachment, or that there is insufficient reasoning to support impeachment. Articles of Impeachment: set of charges drafted against a public official to initiate the impeachment process. The articles of impeachment do not result in the removal of the official, but instead require the enacting body to take further action, such as bringing the articles to a vote before the full body. 4.Full House votes on each Article of Impeachment. 5. If a simple majority approves of any one of the Articles, the President is officially impeached. 6. Trial takes place in the U.S. Senate, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides, and the 100 Senators act as jurors. 7. After a trial, the Senate meets privately to decide upon a verdict. A 2/3 vote results in a conviction. 8. Next, the Senate decides whether to remove the President from office.

Where must all bills of revenue originate?

All bills related to revenue must originate from the House of Representatives.

Who decides when elections for each house are held?

Article I states that state legislatures can decide election dates, but Congress can make any changes to this that do not involve where the Senators are chosen from. The date for a Presidential election, stated in the Constitution, will always be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

What immunities do members of Congress have?

Congressmen are exempt from trial or arrest in any civil cases (not treason, felonies and breaching the peace) when Congress is in session.

What legislative role does the Vice President have?

He or she is the President of the Senate and may cast the decisive vote in the event of tie in the Senate.

What are the punishments if convicted in a trial of impeachment?

If convicted in a trial of impeachment, the punishment is removal of office and disqualification to hold any other office but you are subject to be tried in a court of law after you leave office.

Who decides on how to fill vacancies in the House; Senate?

In the Senate, the governor of the respective state can make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislative can fill such vacancies. The governor can also issue Writs of Elections in the House to fill any vacancies.

What are the qualifications of U.S. Representatives?

Must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. for 7 years, and at the time of the election, must be an inhabitant of the state they represent.

What are the qualifications of U.S. Senator?

Must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the U.S. for 9 years, and at the time of the election, must be an inhabitant of the state they represent.

What are the restrictions placed on adjournment of either house?

Neither house can adjourn a session of Congress without the consent of the other house for more than three days.

What are the employment restrictions placed on members of Congress?

No current congressman can be appointed to any other civil office under the authority of the U.S. Neither can they become a lobbyist. No person holding any office under the U.S. shall become a member of either congressional house as the continuance of their office.

When is a quorum necessary in Congress?

Often times, there will be fewer representatives or senators present on the floor than required, but a quorum will not be called unless someone requests roll. In the Senate, for example, it is assumed that there is quorum present until someone calls for roll.

Who can impeach?

Only the House of Representatives can impeach an official.

Who tries cases of impeachment?

Only the Senate can be the sole court of impeachment trials.

Who decides the time and place of Congressional elections?

State legislatures (exception: presidential election)

Who presides over trials of impeachment?

The Chief Justice is the one who oversees the trial.

Are there processes in place to remove a member of Congress?

The House and the Senate can create their own rules to punish members for disorderly behavior. Each chamber can expel a member with a simple majority vote.

What is the role of the House of Representatives in impeachment proceedings?

The House of Representatives brings charges of impeachment against an official. these charges include treason, high crimes, or misdemeanors.

What is the role of the Senate in cases involving impeachment?

The Senate Chamber serves as the courtroom and the Senators act as jurors. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict, and the penalty for an impeached official is removal from office. In some cases, disqualification from holding future offices is also imposed. There is no appeal.

What role does the Speaker of the House have?

The Speaker's duties as presiding officer of the House include administering the oath of office to newly-elected members, calling the House to order, preserving order and decorum within the House chamber and galleries, recognizing members to speak on the House floor, influences committee assignments for new members, assigning committee chairs, and making rulings about House procedures.

What was the purpose of the process for election of senators?

The framers did not want every senator to be new after their 6 year term. Therefore, by dividing the elections of senators into 3 parts, they assured the fact that 2/3 of the Senate will still be experienced in Congressional matters, while 1/3 would be new due to elections.

Who chooses officers in each House? Who are the officers?

The majority party usually chooses the officers of each house. Each house appoints and chooses their officers. Officers include the majority leader, the Speaker of the House, and majority whip, and committee chairs. Committee chairs are usually appointed by the Speaker of the House based upon seniority.

What is a quorum?

The minimum number of legislators necessary to conduct official business. There must be 51 senators present in order for the Senate to do business, while the House requires that the majority of the membership - or 218 representatives - are present.

What is the role of the judiciary in the impeachment proceeding?

The only real role that the judicial branch has in the proceedings is that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States presides at the trial if the president is the one being impeached. Otherwise, the judicial branch has no role.

Explain the original process for electing senators

The senators were previously chosen by state legislatures (until the 1th Amendment was passed).